Studying extracellular vesicles (EVs) involves many technical challenges. Extracellular vesicles in body fluids are heterogeneous, because they derive from different cell types and their composition and release is affected by environmental conditions. Besides, the extremely small size of extracellular vesicles (nano- to submicron size range) puts severe limitations for the analysis of single EVs. We develop and optimise technology to analyse and isolate EVs.

High resolution flow cytometry
We have a longstanding experience in flow cytometric analysis of submicron particles. This enabled us to develop a robust method for the analysis of single extracellular vesicles based on high resolution flow cytometry, using a tailored BD Influx® flow cytometer. We exploit this technology to discover EV-based biomarkers in immune-associated diseases and cancer. Furthermore, we explore the possibilities of this technology for high throughput analysis of extracellular vesicles in (clinical) samples such as blood plasma and (breast) milk. This will pave the way to apply EV biomarker profiling in clinical and industrial settings.